According to whom? As I recall that was an unconfirmed though popular tale from an anonymous source in the Middle East. A very similar claim was made about Saddam Hussein- that he was terribly ill, etc. I think in his case the claim was that he had cancer. Not so long ago people were claiming Barack Hussein a/k/a President Flustercluck was also suffering from some illness, in addition to the other stories making a big giant deal about a scar on his head.
I always figured those stories were just efforts by their rivals or opponents to make these leaders look weak, perhaps hoping to lower the morale of their followers or undermine their authority in the eyes of their respective fans.
I've heard the statement made by at least two Secretaries of Defense, John Bolton when he was UN Ambassador, several Whitehouse Press Secretaries, and virtually every major media outlet. If you have information that is contrary you might want to contact them rather than trying to discredit me.